Gunmen kill seven workers in bus attack on Masyaf Bridge near Homs, Syria

Gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus in western Syria late on Wednesday evening, killing at least seven people and wounding four others, according to state media.

The unknown assailants struck as the bus crossed the Masyaf Bridge in western Homs province, the official Sana news agency reported, adding that an investigation had been launched to “identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice”.

The victims were civilians employed by the al-Mateen Company, ferried home in the company vehicle after finishing work, a government source told North Press. First responders moved the injured to hospitals around Homs, while security forces examined the scene, where bloodstains and broken glass were visible inside the bus, Sana said.

“We view this cowardly attack as an attempt to undermine the security of Homs and destabilise the security we have worked to consolidate through various measures across the governorate,” Homs Internal Security Forces commander Brig Gen Bassem Mohammad Shaaban told Sana. “This crime will not go unpunished,” he added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor, said all the victims were Alawites, and said the attack came amid broader worries among Alawites and other Syrian minorities despite assurances from the Islamist authorities in Damascus.

No motive was given, no group has claimed responsibility, and the authorities named no suspects. The attack came hours after a gas pipeline explosion at the Tishreen power plant near Damascus forced three power stations offline.

Sources

• The National, “Gunmen kill seven civilians and wound at least four in Syria bus attack” (1 Oct 2026): https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/01/gunmen-kill-seven-civilians-and-wound-at-least-four-in-syria-bus-attack/
• North Press, “Seven killed, four injured in bus shooting in Syria’s Homs” (1 Oct 2026): https://npasyria.com/en/142188/